Criss-Crossed Conveyors--Ford Plant
Artist
Charles Sheeler
(American, 1883 - 1965)
Date1927
MediumGelatin silver print
DimensionsImage: 9 7/16 × 7 9/16 inches (23.97 × 19.21 cm)
Sheet: 10 × 7 15/16 inches (25.4 × 20.16 cm)
Mount: 17 1/2 × 14 inches (44.45 × 35.56 cm)
Sheet: 10 × 7 15/16 inches (25.4 × 20.16 cm)
Mount: 17 1/2 × 14 inches (44.45 × 35.56 cm)
Credit LineGift of Hallmark Cards, Inc.
Object number2005.27.310
Signednone
Inscribednone
MarkingsOn mount verso, upper left corner, in pencil: "6"
On mount verso, lower right corner, in pencil: "MOMA";
On mount verso, lower left corner, in pencil: "L95.3.801" / "412"
On View
Not on viewCollections
DescriptionImage of an industrial complex with two conveyors crossing over one another and a metal staircase beneath.Gallery LabelCharles Sheeler's work in both painting and photography reflected his fascination with the logic of structure, the way in which cultural values are expressed in architectural form. Sheeler's most memorable photographic project was his 1927 series at the Ford Motor Company plant outside Detroit. Sheeler spent six weeks exploring the vast site before making 32 photographs. Here, Sheeler records aerial coal and coke conveyor lines crossing in midair, the plant's water tanks just behind them and the towering smokestacks of Power House No. 1 in the distance. The result is an iconic expression of a peculiarly modern idea: the industrial sublime.
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